Zheng Xiaoduo had a fair, cherubic face and large, sparkling eyes. With long eyelashes that looked like tiny brushes, she pouted while shaking Chen Yang's arm.

Chen Yang was silent.

"Please? Is that okay?" Seeing that Chen Yang wasn't speaking, Zheng Xiaoduo asked again, her face full of pleading.

Chen Yang, speechless, refused her outright. "No!"

"Why not? Why won't you take me as your disciple?" Zheng Xiaoduo's pout deepened as she rattled on, "I'm very obedient, and I can do laundry, cook, and clean. I can do everything!"

"It doesn't matter if the tuition is expensive. Just name your price. My family is very rich."

As she spoke, she shook Chen Yang's arm again, looking terribly wronged. "Please, Uncle! I'm begging you. I really want to become a Fist Master!"

"A Fist Master as amazing as you," she added.

Chen Yang chuckled. "Miss Xiaoduo, we've only known each other for an hour, and you already want to be my disciple. Isn't that a bit reckless? What if I'm a bad person?"

"How could you be a bad person?" Zheng Xiaoduo retorted, then declared with unwavering conviction, "My intuition tells me you're the best person in the world!"

"So, is it a deal? Just take me in!"

Without waiting for a reply, Zheng Xiaoduo shook his arm again, like a young girl begging her boyfriend, looking so pitiful it could make one's heart ache.

However, Chen Yang remained unmoved, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, but I have no plans to take on disciples. Miss Xiaoduo, please don't trust people so easily. A girl like you can be taken advantage of."

Just as Chen Yang was about to pull his arm away and leave, Qin Mo and Fan Xiaoxian walked over.

"Chen Yang? You… what is this…"

Seeing Zheng Xiaoduo clinging to Chen Yang's arm, Fan Xiaoxian was dumbfounded.

Next to her, Qin Mo's expression was even darker. "Well done, Chen Yang," she said menacingly. "You've got some real skill. How long has it been, and you've already picked up a student? Getting handsy in public, have you no shame?"

"It's a misunderstanding! It's not what you think," Chen Yang said, hastily pulling his hand away as he anxiously tried to explain.

"Hmph!" Qin Mo sneered. "Save it for my sister."

Fan Xiaoxian recognized the girl and said in astonishment, "Xiaoduo, you… how could you…"

"How could I what?" Zheng Xiaoduo looked confused. "I'm asking Uncle Chen to be my master. What are you all talking about?"

Become his disciple?

Qin Mo and Fan Xiaoxian were both stunned. So, Zheng Xiaoduo has become Chen Yang's little fangirl?

Uncle…

Fan Xiaoxian struggled to hold back her laughter. Then again, the title does seem to fit him pretty well.

Zheng Xiaoduo ignored them and pleaded with Chen Yang once more. "Uncle Chen, please take me as your disciple. I really can do everything, and I'll be very good. I promise I'll be a good and obedient student."

"Bye!" Chen Yang practically fled.

"Uncle Chen…"

Zheng Xiaoduo stomped her foot in frustration and quickly gave chase, but how could a frail young woman like her possibly catch up to Chen Yang?

"Hmph! You think you can get away? I will become your disciple!" Zheng Xiaoduo muttered in annoyance.

Once he was out of the school gates, Chen Yang saw that Zheng Xiaoduo was no longer following him and heaved a great sigh of relief. I can't handle this, he lamented inwardly. That girl is too obsessive. It's terrifying.

PUFFT.

Fan Xiaoxian finally couldn't help but laugh out loud. To think the mighty Governor could be so flustered by a young girl.

"Haha, Uncle Chen, you sure ran fast back there!" Fan Xiaoxian teased.

Chen Yang gave a wan smile. These young girls are seriously too much to handle…

Then, Fan Xiaoxian's tone shifted. "That Zheng Xiaoduo is not as simple as she looks. You'd better stay far away from her."

"What do you mean?" Chen Yang frowned.

Fan Xiaoxian's smile vanished. "I'm not entirely sure who she is," she said grimly, "but I do know this: two guys were pestering her before, trying to get her to date them. Guess what happened to them?"

"Those two guys disappeared!" Fan Xiaoxian said, a lingering fear in her voice. "It wasn't until a month later that we heard they were dead. One was found in the wilderness, his body gnawed by wild animals beyond recognition. The other fell from a high-rise building."

"Everyone said they were accidents, but how could it be such a coincidence?" Fan Xiaoxian's expression was one of terror. She concluded firmly, "There's no doubt that Zheng Xiaoduo is connected to their deaths. Even if she didn't do it herself, someone backing her did."

"To kill so brazenly… one can only imagine how terrifying the family behind her must be!"

Chen Yang was stunned. A girl who looked so adorable had such a brutal story behind her? The contrast was just too great.

And I just told her not to trust people so easily, that she could be taken advantage of, Chen Yang thought, unconsciously rubbing his nose. This girl is a wolf in sheep's clothing!

But he didn't take it to heart, shrugging as he said, "It's not like I'm going to get close to her. Today was just a chance meeting. We won't see each other again."

"That's true," Fan Xiaoxian nodded, saying no more.

Qin Mo had been silent the entire time, her face an unreadable mask. She didn't get into Chen Yang's car, hailing a taxi instead.

Fan Xiaoxian sighed. "Actually, Xiaomo is a pretty good person. It's probably the useless persona you deliberately put on. It embarrassed her so much that she can't hold her head high around relatives and friends."

"On top of that, she's very close to her sister, so she can't stand the sight of you, her brother-in-law."

Finally, Fan Xiaoxian smiled. "The reason I'm telling you all this is because I hope you won't hold it against her. She doesn't have a bad heart."

"Don't worry. Why would I bother myself over a little girl?" Chen Yang waved dismissively and drove away.

「Two days passed in the blink of an eye.」

After months of turmoil, the Qin Corporation was finally back on track thanks to a steady influx of orders. Construction on that plot of land was also proceeding methodically.

In less than three months, the anti-cancer drug would go into production at this factory.

On the surface, everything seemed to be stabilizing and heading in the right direction. In reality, this was merely the calm before the storm.

The Martial Association would never give up on the drug formula, nor would they allow the drug to be produced so smoothly. The threats from Ye Nantian, a protector from the Martial Association, were still fresh in his mind.

However, with Chen Yang around, they wouldn't be able to stir up too much trouble.

「That day.」

Chen Yang was getting ready for work when he got a call from Sun Yuli, who got straight to the point. "Yang, I'm getting engaged today. Are you coming?"

"Engaged?" Chen Yang was completely taken aback.

Sun Yuli chuckled. "Didn't I tell you last time? My mom wants to marry me off to Leng Lingyun. Today, they're planning to finalize the engagement."

Her? Chen Yang was confused. It's her own engagement, so why does she sound so detached, as if it has nothing to do with her?

"They arranged everything without caring if I agree or not. But whatever. Hurry up and come over; I'm waiting for you."

Chen Yang was speechless.

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